How much garbage does your family produce? Do you have a recycling program where you live?

We end up with about a 1/2 can of garbage per week, plus a full bin of recycling once a month. Most of the recycling is due to the *enormous* amount of newspapers we receive (4 papers a week). I'd like to cancel the papers, but they do give us a nice heads up on what's happening in our community, and they provide us with all the flyers that have the coupons in them, so I've been torn about doing that.

We are allowed 2 cans or 2 bags of garbage each week, and I notice that a lot of our neighbours do put 2 things out each week. I'd like to pare down our garbage even more than the 1/2 can. Hopefully in the summer it will be better, with all of our garden produce, but lately I've been so busy at work that we've been eating a lot of pre-packaged foods (canned beans, frozen lasagnas, etc). We don't currently have a compost bin, we're waiting until the spring when there is a sale by the city on their bins. I recently read an ad about a compost bin that fits under your sink, has no smell, and gives you fresh compost every 10 days or something incredible like that. Anyone heard of this?

We fill about a plastic grocery bag/day. Plus one each for the bathrooms per week. Considering we are using sposies right now, I am feeling pretty impressed with that, LOL. But I try to do better wherever I can

Our pickup only recycles cans, glass, and newspapers, so that bin only goes out every two or three weeks. But I also carry all of the plastic, cardboard, and paper to the local recycling center once/week.

We don't compost yet, that is one thing I wanted to start this summer. I wanted to do a garden this summer, but I had the feeling I would be in over my head with everything going on this year, so I joined a local organic farm co-op instead. Maybe the garden will come next year.

I will say that we are in the process of major simplifying and while I am donating as much as possible, there is a lot of unusable stuff that is making it's way to the trash can. BTW, anybody know what to do with old textbooks, goodwill doesn't want them and in this house it is against the law to throw away a book, LOL.

countertop composter: http://www.burpee.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=776&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=compost

dh's grandmother has one and loves it

if you google kitchen compost pail you'll fine a wide variety: ceremic crocks, stainless steel pails, plastic, etc. most come with carbon filter.

nak,
amey

We now have mandatory recycling (it is on our trash bill) But they don't take any glass. Only plastics #1 and #2, cans and paper. Better than nothing though:thumbsup:

I live in a condo complex so we have twenty bins to fill up with recycling (20 units) and one big trash can which also gets filled up with yard clipings (a few neighbors have thrown away chairs!). Personally, we usaully have two bags of recycling to one bag of trash.

Jennifer

(((((

We have a pretty good recycling program here. We put out more in recycling than we do in trash :) I think about a can of trash a week but if it can get recycled it does. They take a lot here (plastics to 6 ir 7 I think.. Ian would know).

edited to add: Thinking about it we have a large trash can that is put out each week and it is about 1/2 to 3/4 full when picked up. When we lived in a different area we would stuff our larger can and still have too much trash :( I was so bad... Now if Dh forgets to put out trash (like this week :rolleyes: ) I throw a fit because we need to get rid of the recycling! The trash can wait a week! We still need to reduce in general though but I am okay with our progress.

Amy, I wish I knew what to do with textbooks, too. :rolleyes:

Amey, I'm pretty sure the under the counter compost bins I'd read about actually gave you the compost, they weren't just a storage bin for the kitchen scraps until you got them out to your big compost bin. Does your grandmother actually get finished compost from her bin? I think the ad I saw was talking about worm composting.

It's amazing how different the recycling programs are. They take pretty much all plastics here, even plastic grocery bags!

Sabina

Ahhh. mamafrog, you're correct. what grandma has is pretty much compost storage for fewer trips to the big yard bin. Basically, an improvement on the coffee can MY grandfather always used.

Sorry.

~amey

We do not have recycling at home but do at work. So, I bring a lot here. We go through one to two bags a week at home of trash. My mom is incredible though. Her and Dad go through one bag a DAY! I was talking to her about why they used so much as we so little. First, they go through 3 to 5 boxes of tissues a week. (We use TP when we need it and then flush it.) She goes through 1 case of paper towels a month. That is like two or more a week (rolls not towels). I go through 1 a month. There are just some things I still can stomach with a washable towel (issues from my Grandmother). They also drink a lot of sodas. Mom uses a lot of fiber products producing garbage. They have 7 cats they feed from cans and bags and have a litter box.

It is just gross. I was amazed.

Prisons want your textbooks.

If they are in French, African libraries want your textbooks. The WSJ,oddly enough, is where to go ask for an address.

High school teachers may want your textbooks for their classroom library. The high school library may want them, also.

If they are in Spanish, they are wanted on the border. Some of the shantytowns have built libraries.

If they are Portuguese, they are wanted in Brazil. The local schools are miserably underfunded. And, no, I don't know who you call.

One would think there would be a worldwide clearing house for books desired.

Ari

Originally posted by KD
We have a pretty good recycling program here. We put out more in recycling than we do in trash :) I think about a can of trash a week but if it can get recycled it does. They take a lot here (plastics to 6 ir 7 I think.. Ian would know).

Yeah, 7. Although it seems to vary per driver. In our neighborhood (when I lived with DD's Mom) they took ANYTHING. Including her cheap plastic fisher price kitchen. They took grocery bags, unmarked lids, etc.

At KDs, they won't take plastic grocery bags, but apparently accept things like FF drink cups and other 'dirties'

at St. Joseph's where I some times volunteer, we can't put any soiled paper in the bin, and only brown, un coated paper at that. (no cereal boxes, or magazines)

At new home (ma & pa's house) they will take anything but paper products soiled with food.

The wierd thing about it is that we all have one recycling program, and one company who runs it.

When I lived with just myself and dd 1/2 time, we put out about a kitchen-sized garbage can every 2 weeks. minus the grocery bag sized can from the car. That went out about once a week as well. Our recycling was always full.

Here at ma & pa's :D we (they) put out about a kitchen size bag every other day, and that's just the kitchen. there are bathroom sized ones all through the house that get emptied about twice weekly. Their paper recycle bin is always overflowing, by about twice it's capacity, and the plastic/metal/glass one is barely contained although everything inside is compacted.

My mom's a qvc junkie, that's why there's so much paper, and my dad is a juice junkie, and there is always soo many containers. Then there's my water bottles. (the majority of what filled the bin when I didn't live with them)

I/We/They could do better. They are a little hard to budge, but mostly open-minded. I'll keep etching away, at them and myself.